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Organization sees link between injured hawks, oil and gas development

The Rocky Mountain Raptor Program has cared for 11 rough-legged hawks since December

By Jessica Maher Reporter-Herald Staff Writer

Posted:
01/18/2014 05:41:43 PM MST

Updated:
01/18/2014 05:43:01 PM MST

A rough-legged hawk takes flight on Friday inside the flight complex at the Rocky Mountain Raptor Program in Fort Collins. After being hit by a vehicle, the hawk was rescued in mid-December and treated for a dislocated left femur and head trauma, which left it blind in one eye.
(
Jenny Sparks
)

FORT COLLINS -- Just before noon last Friday, Mike Tincher, the rehabilitation coordinator for the Rocky Mountain Raptor Program, rushed a rough-legged hawk to the program's Fort Collins facility and began assessing the bird's extensive injuries.

The young bird, which Tincher picked up from the side of Weld County Road 43 northeast of Greeley, marked the 11th rough-legged hawk since Dec. 1, 2013, to be struck by a vehicle, reported by a passerby and picked up by the rehabilitation center. That's more rough-legged hawks than the program has seen over the past decade, according to executive director Judy Scherpelz.

All but two of the rough-legged hawks taken to the facility were found in Weld County east of Greeley, on roads where traffic has sharply increased in recent years, in no small part due to a booming oil and gas industry. Program officials have taken notice of the concentration of injured birds, and while it's impossible to determine what vehicles are striking the birds, they believe there's an obvious link.

"These birds are all over Loveland, all over Fort Collins -- the only variable that we do not have here is the amount of oil field traffic," Tincher said. "It's not an indictment, but it's something that has to be looked at."

'Perfect storm'

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In typical years, Scherpelz said it is uncommon to see so many rough-legged hawks along the Front Range. The birds come from the Arctic and travel south for the winter, usually migrating to the Dakotas. But because of the extreme winter weather in that area, the raptors have continued southward. The birds prey over open land on small mammals, and with snow cover and development of prairie areas, Scherpelz said their hunting often takes them to the grassy areas along the sides of roads.

"We're seeing an increase in other species too, but the rough-leggeds are most vulnerable because they're young and inexperienced and hunting takes them close to the ground," said Scherpelz.

Combine the influx of the birds with the heavy traffic areas where the birds have been found -- Colorado Highways 392 and 14, Weld County Road 51, all east of U.S. 85 -- and the nonprofit Rocky Mountain Raptor Program is currently hectic in what is normally the slow season.

"It's a perfect storm scenario this year," Tincher said.

Tincher knows there's no definitive evidence of the link between oil and gas development and the injured birds, and it's impossible to point to individual companies, but he feels strongly that it's an issue that the industry isn't aware of and should be.

"These birds don't have a voice except for us," he said.

Colorado Oil and Gas Association spokesman Doug Flanders said that they have not been contacted by the raptor program with any inquiries or complaints.

"From an overall environmental impact, we've seen a decrease in our footprints, because we're able to consolidate our operations so much more," he said.

Flanders also pointed to support for the raptor program from oil and gas operators, but Scherpelz said the recent support -- a 2013 donation from the Anadarko Petroleum Corp. -- didn't put a dent in the increased resources, food and supplies associated with the injured birds.

"It seems to me that the oil and gas companies have a responsibility to do what they can to mitigate this problem," Scherpelz said. "If we're going to be cleaning up their messes, I sure would like some financial help."

The U.S. Forest Service is currently conducting an environmental impact statement (EIS) for potential future development of the Pawnee National Grassland, but Scherpelz thinks such studies don't go far enough along the traffic corridors that lead to the well sites.

"They don't always look carefully at the traffic and things that happen father away from the well," she said.

Recovery

Of the 11 rough-legged hawks brought into the Fort Collins center since the beginning of last month, one has been released following treatment and recovery. Seven have suffered injuries so severe that they were euthanized. The hawk Tincher picked up from Weld County Road 43 last Friday is included in that number. The bird had multiple fractures, including the shoulder.

"If it has a chance, then we'll proceed, but with those types of massive injuries, there's nothing you can do about it," Tincher said.

During triage, Tincher said the key factor in treatment is first determining whether the bird can ever be released. For three rough-legged hawks currently at the center, Tincher is hopeful for their eventual release, but it remains to be seen. Depending on their status, raptors are housed in a critical care complex, recovery complex or the flight complex, which is the last stage of recovery.

One hawk still in the recovery complex was emaciated and suffering from some type of head trauma when Tincher found it. Instead of actively flying around within the enclosure, the bird tends to stay stagnant on the perch.

"We're still evaluating his behavior," Tincher said.

In the flight complex, a bird found in mid-December with a dislocated femur and head trauma has since lost vision in the left eye. The bird often sits on a perch near the ceiling of the individual room and when coaxed will do a short loop and fly to the adjacent perch. But Tincher's goal is for the bird to fly across the room, become more comfortable with its surroundings and adapt to its injury.

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